Author Archives: Ben Hsu
Triumph, the Insult Comic Honda
Honda has often turned to the world of music for its model names – Concerto, Prelude, Jazz, Aria, Quintet, Beat, and the subject of today’s plunge into the rabbit hole of rebadging, the Ballade. Introduced in 1980 as a four-door … Continue reading
Posted in honda
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Corolla Chronicles
Yesterday we posted about the beauty of road trips with an old ‘Rolla courtesy of The Truth About Cars. Turns out, they’ve been on a Corolla spree recently, with this article celebrating 40 years of the long-lived compact. Though the … Continue reading
Posted in toyota
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Disappointing Lack of Classics in GT5 Prologue
Our favorite car game of all time has to be Grand Turismo 4. Naturally, the gorgeous graphics and enormous variety of cars and tracks are as fantastic as anything we’ve come to expect from the franchise, but the best part … Continue reading
Posted in Video Games
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Small Japanese Cars Hold Key to Human Mind
Ever since the first warehouse-sized IBMs appeared on the scene, the unattainable holy grail of computer science has always been a man-made machine that mimics the complexity of the human brain. Well, scientists at Japan’s National Institute for Materials Science … Continue reading
Posted in japan
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Zen and the Art of Corolla Maintenance
America ain’t perfect, but damn if she isn’t beautiful. Is there any greater joy in life than taking in this beauty behind the wheel of an old car? Forget voting and the right to pontificate, this is freedom, man. Forgive … Continue reading
Posted in road trip, toyota
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Z Car Grows, 240 to 370 in 38 Years
Time for more unfounded rumors from the Japanese auto tabloids. This much is known. The next iteration of Nissan’s landmark sports car, the Fairlady Z, will have the 3.7L motor currently powering its Skyline/Infiniti G37 siblings. What’s pure conjecture, however, … Continue reading
Posted in datsun, nissan
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Toyota Celica Makes Kessel Run in Under 12 Parsecs
When we were kids, we thought Luke’s landspeeder was easily the coolest vehicle in Star Wars. Why? Because it most resembled a car, of course. Well, except for the lack of wheels. But other than that, it was practically a … Continue reading
Ka-Pao! Nissan’s Rad Retro Ride
In the late 80s and early 90s, Nissan teamed up with design house PIKE to create a series of retro-style cars based on the Nissan March. In the West, the most popular one of these cars is the Figaro, which … Continue reading
Posted in nissan, retro
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New Year Meeting: The Movie
You’ve seen the photos, now check out some video of the New Year Meeting that our bloke Kev from grandJDM has uncovered. Ah, the memories!
Posted in events, japan
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Toyota: Building Trust Despite Rust?
A lot of our readers have Japanese trucks that they use as daily drivers, workhorses, or parts haulers, so this item may be of interest to some of you. 813,000 Toyota Tacoma pickups were built between 1995-2000, and some of … Continue reading
Posted in toyota, trucks
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Honda F1 Machines at Geneva
Sigh. We wish we had the budget to head over to Switzerland. We’d love to attend the glitzy shindig known as the Geneva Motor Show (which is going on right now), sample some Swiss chocolate, and visit the Swiss Toyota … Continue reading
Posted in honda, racing
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Skyline Racers on Display
If you happen to be in Japan in the next few weeks, be sure to swing by the Nissan Ginza showroom. Nissan’s putting on a special exhibit called “Potential for Your Driving” that will include some of the most legendary … Continue reading
We Need This Stinking Badge
Hey Sugarteats, check out this replica badge from Japanese company M.F.P. Clothing. Remember the the Main Force Patrol? It’s the post-apocalypse Australian police unit Mel Gibson’s character served under in the 1979 movie Mad Max. Along with The Road Warrior … Continue reading
Posted in nostalgic gear, Video Games
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Dryer Lint to the Rescue: Oil Cleanup Tips
Here at JNC headquarters, our weekends are filled with excitement. And by excitement we mean the things our butlers would be doing if we were filthy rich. Well, at least there’s something to be gained from doing your own laundry. … Continue reading
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Mora Dekotora, Tora, Tora!
Will Jalopnik‘s fascination with dekotora ever cease? We sure hope not. You’ve got the coffee table book, now supplement that with Zenkoku Dekotora Matsuri, a new game for the Nintendo Wii. Piloting a giant chrome truck through the narrow streets … Continue reading
Posted in japan, trucks, Video Games
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GT-R Manual Warns: No Bad Taste
More Skyline importing news: our friends at Cobb Tuning have received one of the first privately owned R35 GT-Rs in the US. How? By importing their own, of course, and you know what that means: comical scans from the Japanese … Continue reading
Posted in nissan
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Leap for Joy: Holy Jumping Mazdas!
In honor of Leap Year, here’s a car chase from a 1979 Japanese movie whose title translates as “The Man Who Stole the Sun.” It’s got a plot, but we haven’t seen it, so let’s just cut to the chase … Continue reading
Posted in datsun, mazda, nissan, Video Games
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Skyline Valentine
So we have a new member of our extended family to welcome. No, it’s not a wedding or newborn child. Even better. A couple of weeks ago, our mate Kev from grandJDM received a very special Valentine in the form … Continue reading
Posted in datsun, nissan
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Toyotafest Registration Open
Fresh from the wire, TORC‘s 13th annual All Toyotafest is now open for registration. If you’ve got an old school ‘Yota (or even a new school one) that needs to be seen to be believed, head on over to their … Continue reading
Posted in events, toyota
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